Southern Japan Seminar 2014

Issues in Translation and Interpretation
"Translations of the Heian Masterpiece, The Tale o/Genii"
by S. Yumiko Hulvey
Univers ity of Florida
Murasak i Shikibu, a woman of the mid- He ian period, is the author of Genji

monogafari (The Tale o/Genii, ca. II ttl c., hereafter the Genii), the masterpiece of the
Japanese literary canon that has been translated several times in both Japanese and
Eng lish. All four translations in Japanese were produced by famous literary figure s:
Yosano Akiko ( 1878-1942), Tanizaki Jun'ichiro (1886-1965), Enchi Fum iko (19051986), and Setouc hi Jakucho (1922-). Of trans lations in to Engli sh, the first was by
Suematsu Kencho (1855- 1920), a Japanese diplomat who graduated from the University
of Cambridge in 1884 with a Law degree and who produced a partia l translation of the

Genii (the first seventeen chapters) while in Cambrid ge, England. In addition to the
partial trans lat ion by Helen Craig McCullough (19 18-1998) published in 1994 (Genji and

since she was an avid lover of the classical maste rpiece like Yosano
Akiko.J. I have endeavored to be both scrupulous and bold. and thus only resent for their needless nicety. My principal
aim has been to bring forth as directly as possible the spi rit of the original through the
instrument of the modern language.>njl and wanted her husband 10
produce hiS own translation. and professor at Tokyo University. in the 19305. In the
Grand Old Man and thc GICa! TradlilOn. I did not always translate
literally. p 30. Ibuki and Rowley 's art icl e -'The Tani zaki Genji" suggests that
hi s role in the translation was more akin to that of a supervisi ng editor rather than a
translator? Matsllko was obsessed with the abridged version of the Yosano Genji and
wanted her husband to produce a complete translation that would be useful for well-bred
yo ung ladi es like she and her sisters to read. It seems that some women translators treat the
Genji with more affection. famous philologist. and 19705. the third translator of the Genji devoted six years of her literary
career to the Genji. Gayle Rowley
translates Yosano 's ideas on translating the Genji:
I eli minated those detail s which being far removed from modern li fe we can neither
identify nor sympathi ze with. 19505. ROIllc)" "The Tani7. Thc Un. p 41-42
• Ibukl and ROI\ley stHlC Ihat Morita Matsuko was obsessed by YosaRo Aklko's IrnnslallOIl oflhe G. With access to her
1 Ibuki Kru:uko and G G.
. Essays on TaJllzakl Jun'lchlr~ In Ii onor of Adnana Boscaro Edi ted by LUisa Sienati WId
l1ouna\'entura Rupertl Center for Japanese Studies. Enchi was the daughter o f Ueda Kazutoshi ( 1867-1 937). I then ventured a free
lranslati on. 4 Even though Tani zaki produced three
versions of hi s Genji tran slations.::i GenJ" In cepuon.
editor of Dai NiholJ kokugojilen.
Enchi Fumiko. and Allerthoughs " With translations by lbomas Harpel o f
Tanmdl Jun'ichlr~'s "On Translating tne Tale afGttnJl into Modem Japanese" (1938) and "Some MaliCIOUS Remarks" ( 1965). Process.
2
. 2009 22-52. Ibukl and Ro\\ ley. I
did not always adhere to the expressions of the original author.abridged and complete versions of the Yosano Genji are in print today.vcrslly of Michlgwl. to the end remarks
disparaging the Genji escaped his lips. I-laving made the spirit of the original my own.2
Yosano worked independently on her tran slation because she felt a kindred spirit to the
pioneering work of Murasaki Shikibu of the J-Ieian period (794-118 5).
Tani zaki JlIn'ichiro 's third wife Matsuko asked him to translate the Genji even
though he was not a fan.

the United Stales.father's extensive library.. not seducti on. even though her translation reflects an Edokko
sensibility of one born and raised in the Kanto.. Hlslory and
Culture in Ihe Asian COn/ex t..'. rote.html
3
. lakucho lives the life of a superstar featured
constantly in various popular media such as magazines and television although she is
now ninety-one years old. protestin g Ihe co nditi ons ofwomell at the time" and argues that ·'the key figures"
in the talc are "the women \\ hom [G enji) uscs and di sc ards." " Wh ile GenJ i's liaisons arc l1 orm~lly described as seducti ons. Seidensticker.org. For the sake of time I will
. s For all her stated devotion
10
The Tale o/Genji. Royall Tyler.
Rank. " Ms.pdf
• For Genj i'S defense. lss uc 7.
Unlike Heian women who became nuns. ..aulissuc7Ityler..6
Let us now turn our attention to English translations of the Genji that make the
Heian masterpiece accessible to students in the United States. 9 : "According to the aniclc.ge nji -lcct-english..' IIIIUll!Clions: Gender. However when the
Tyler translation was published in 2001 I made the transition. "Some Viells o f Tlte Tale ofGl! nji. which was primcd by newspapers acros~ America. No wonder the Enchi Genji (1967-72) feels as if it were one of
Enchi's own creations since she breathed life into the translation. Setouch i scoffs at thaI. the fourth translation by Setouchi lakucho (I-Iarumi) was pub li shed in
1997 by an I-novelist (warakllshi-sh6selslI) with a torrid past. and Rape in The Tale o/Genji. hllp . Rank. the
intervicwer . Enchi developed an avocation as a scholar of the classics from
an early age and produced an oeuvre replete with multiple allusions to the Heian period
masterpieces by women.ffinterscctions.. and
Ty ler. The Waley Genji was replaced by the time I entered graduate school so the
Seidensticker Genji was the staple for most of my academic career. Milrch 2002. she has
accused Genji of rape. just as women did in the Heian period in which the Genji is set. who renounced the world in
1973 and became a nun. These are all translations
by male scho lars of England. Enchi too felt a kindred
spirit with Murasaki Shikibu's Genji.
Finally.
Setouchi "sees in the novel a strong feminist l oice. whi le Royall Ty ler has come to Genji's defense in "Marriage..edu.anu. see Royall Tyler's " Marriage.jpf. ' she says . ' It was all Tilpe." p."
htlp:flww .. aulonlineaMlclcsfprofilelroyalltylcr. and Australia: Waley. and Rape in The rulf' ofGenji.

1 (1980): 15-47.
An editor may suggest additions and deletions and improve by these devices. "the most difficult stage in a literary translation is that of seeking to put the
translat ion into acceptable language. since I have more than enough territory to cover
with the complete translations. It is a highly ornate piece of work.. the minor ladies of the Wardrobe. putting
it into a literal draft. but it is a literal rendition
of an expression whose sense had departed rather far from those literal origins. Already we have in it. Again the trans lation is
marked by an ingenious and not unpleasant and yet misleading sort of literalness.
4
. instances of the sort of thing he does so
frequently.not be discuss ing the partial translations.
j-IO\y
a translator justifies his new translation offers a chance to glimpse both
motivation and method behind the theory of translation. however."7 citing that there is no
such thing as a "perfect translation" before he proceeds to declare that it is easier to
translate prose rather than poetry and modern rather than old languages. content to see
her raised so far above them. and annotating" (16). JOllmal ofJapaneS<! Studies 6." says Waley' s second sentence. Seidensticker begins with an
apology of sorts in his article.
Seidensticker continues by examining the opening paragraph of the Waley Genji:
There are more than twice as many words in the Wa ley translation of the samc
passage . but his Genji translation does
not support the statement. " This is very ingenious and not at all displeasing. "Still
less were her former companions. adding much that may
seem very nice but represents elaboration upon the original. but
they probably lie beyond the realm of translation (23). Seidensticker stated about the Waley Genji:
It is often said that Waley was a lover of simp licity. including ascertaining what the original means. by which is meant language that con veys in some
measure the literary aptness of the original" (16).
When justifying the new translation. He continues that "the process of
beating a literal translation into what seems acceptable Engl ish has generally taken as
long as all other stages combined. then he should not replace sparseness of detail by a rich profusion.
. "Chiefly on Translating the Genji. Mezamashiki mono is rendered as "the upstart who had dispelled their
dreams.. Seidensticker
declares that. I f it is the translator's
duty to imitate.

as the words suggests. html
5
. Il may be that what did operate
was rather more the matter of what "sounded good"-and what interested him (25). if we may assume that the ingenious embellishment was
for purposes of imitating the rhythm of the original . Another problem Seidensticker mentions is
the lack of names in the original that he solved by referring to characters by stable names
throughout the Genji. have had to do with the royal wardrobe. The Tyler Genii certainly has a
languid feel in terms of pace that Seidensticker mentioned above about the WaIey Genii.
and the rapid-paced feel of the Seidensticker Genii might be due to its spate of short
sentcnces. and a marvelous nuanced translation with copious exp lanatory notes.
Furthermore. see "Translat in g Th e Talc of Genj i:'
hllp:l/wwW. s Students complain that
the lack of constant names make them re-read passages a number of times before they
understand exactly who's who and who did what to whom. In hi s first sentence Waley seems to render k6i as
"gentlewomen of the Chamber.Jf-j\\blt)lcrlcct urc.cdu . Whether or not that was his
intention is by no mcans clear." which indeed they were .
but by the period of the Genji they were lesser concubines. and his willingness to make radical deletions may
suggest that no consistent principle was operative. and the higher-ranking
ny6go seem to be called "women of the Wardrobe. However the Tyler Genji has
produced lovely translations of poetry. Royall Tylcr used the lack of names in the origina l Genii as one of
his justifications for undertaking the new translation. Seidensticker states:
Perhaps Waley was right . ironically becomes the
source of confusion for readers and thereby a source of criticism." which they were not (24-25).ut.
These ideas might provide some insight into what translators arc faced with when
deciding what path a translation is to follow. ladies not of sufficiently
good family to be major consorts. Yct the raison d'etre for the Tyler Genii. the intention to follow the original in
choosing to forgo names for the continua ll y changing titles.rn onas h.C5sc.K6i may originally. He even
provides interpretation in The Disasler of Ihe Third Princess that is an invaluable
• For details on Tyler 's ideas on tran slat ion. a languorous pace that more approximates the
original.

and culture to make the translation
meaningful and sign ificant. Yumiko Hulvey
University of Florida
INTRODUCTION
A translator is one who acts as a bridge from one language to another.
such as Indo-European languages. and now I would like to lum
our attention to translating narratives with multiple allusions. Thus interpretation becomes another tantamount effort. one that allows time to consult dictionaries and research sources to flesh
out an accurate and hopefully literary result. And I strive to teach students how to manage
reading texts published and disseminated for native speakers of Japanese. the topic of my talk today
focuses on a modern Japanese text that makes heavy use of intertextual allus ions to the
classical literary canon of the past. Many female writers have been inspired by hi storical masterpieces and
continue to allude to works written by women in earlier times.
6
.
However.
Although my speciali zation is classical Japanese literalure.
"Translat ing and Interpreting Allusions in Kurahashi Yumiko's Yume no kayoiji (Path of
Dreams. usually
from one more obsc ure into one more familiar. when one attempts to translate a language that is no longer spoken or used
today into another language that does not even belong to the same group of languages. Kurahashi Yumiko (19352005) is one who found inspiration from writers of the past. linguistics. I will limit myself to discussing translat ions that arc
text-centered. 1989)"
by S. Then we might infer that a translator's job
is to convey as closely as possible the meaning of the original into another language. the process is made all the more compli cated because
one must span huge chasms of time.teaching tool.

However. late I i
h
cent ury) as
inspiration fo r some of hi s short narrati ves in Rashomon and later Enchi Fumiko whose
avocation as a classical scholar led her to set some o f her narratives in the Heian period. Somehow whil e browsing the shelves of lhe
library. I have come to appreciate the
genius of thi s writer who captured the interest of my students and inspired their curiosity
in the classical Japanese literary canon and the historical past of Japan . or texts from the I-Ieian and Kamakura periods.o translated by Sakaki
Atsuko in J997. 1989) that
contained multiple intertextual allusions to literary texts and hi storical fi gures from the
classical canon. I came across Kurahashi Yum iko's Ylime no kayoiji (Path of Dreams. ca.
such as A Tale of False Oracles (Na mamiko monogalari).My fie ld is classical Japanese literature written fro m the tenth to the fourteenth
centuries . During
the course of reading thi s co ll ection with my student s. At first I chose writers like Akutagawa RyGnosuke
who used Konjakll monogatari (Tales of Times Now Past. but I can only teach the canon
in English translat ion _My love for the classical canon led me to search for modern
literary texts that contain echoes of the past that I could introduce to students in 4.
7
. but there were others in the co ll ection Path of Dreams that were virgi n
territory. I decided to give Path of Dream!)· a try for the 4th year Japanese class. a colleague stated
that Akutagawa's works were too easy while Enc hi 's texts were dense and difficult. The reaction of
the last class was most gratifyi ng and I am happy to have fo und a fin al topic to research
before J leave UF and my students behind. I
contin ued my search for narrati ves that might capture the imaginati on of my student s and
satisfy my need for the classical canon.h year
Japanese al the Unive rsity of Florida. Some of Kurahashi's short narratives had been publi shed in The Woman
with the Flying Head and other Stories by Kurahashi YIIII/ik.

wri ters.
In this series of narratives. to cavort with Keiko in
racy adventures. The tit le of the vol ume. forg ing into the present wit h progressive feminist agendas.
These briefseven·page narratives by Kurahashi remind mc of poetry collections
li ke the Shinkokinshfi (The New Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry. Keiko. Kurahashi Yumiko. to explore
uncharted territories. Further fue led by
scientific images of dark holes. reaches back into history.orld inhabited by people
that have gone to Hades (or Yomi in Japanese).
expand the boundaries of these short narratives onto the world stage. Flowing throughout all the narratives are Oagrant displays of sex uality
and forays into taboo topics such as bestiality. Path a/Dreams. In addi tion. and celestial bodies noating in space. and
glancing into the future with cosmologica l physics.
resuscitates people. dark matter.
Western cult ure. such as emperors. hi nts at how visits to the other world occur but Keiko is not a
part this narrative. and the like. seventeen of whic h
is connected by the appearance of the female protagonist. It is writing in the fan tastic mode at its best with escapades designed
to engage our attention by even play ing wit h the concept of time: dipping into the past for
historical characters. or the spirit '". these
intertextual all usions to classical Japanese poetry. incest. the
8
. and so on. and the like. pocts.PAnl OF DREAMS
Path 0/ Dreams is a collection of twenty·one short narratives. Another unifier of this
collection is communion with the "other" world.
placed last in the co ll ection.
1205) that link short 31·syll able poems by assoc iat ion and progression and honkadori
(allusions to poetry from earlier anthologies) into sequences that expand the limit of
individual poems into something greater than the sum of its parts. vampirism .
No plays.

My talk today will be restricted to di scussi ng just the first of
seventeen Keiko-centered narratives in the Path of Dreams so I will have time to trace
allusions embedded in --Beneath Cherry Blossoms" (I-lana no slli/a). characters.
defying both time and space. correct them. I make vocabulary li sts to distribute to students.
(As the instructor.
For example.
they would consult dictionaries and chose which of the various definitions fit the
particular needs of the sentence in question.)
Next. the task fall s on the
translator not only to provide a translati on of the poem for its meaning. and later collect
their translations.
APPLIED TRANSLATION
What are the steps to begin translati ng a text? In my classes. translators must provide interpretat ion and infonnation for any cu ltural or literary
allusions readers might require to fully comprehend the writer's intention for its inclusion. themes. These lists provide pronunciations of characters (SinoJapanese or ol1-yomi. They submit corrected versions as final subm issions for each text. (If stude nts were reading these on their own.
and situations from the past that resonate in the present and prognosticate the future.venue expands into the universe. so that we
arc literally on the same page. and/or native Japanese or kun-yomi) and their meaning in context
selected on my understanding of the text. comprehension of the grammatical
structures is essential to arrive at the correct translation of the meaning of the original. in the casc of Kurahashi Yumiko. and return them so they can either accept or reject
revisions in MSWord.) Second. I guide students' reading and interpretation in class. but also to
provide hi storical informati on about the poet and his place in literary hi story to which the
9
. the first step is to
provide lexical knowledge. These stories carry echoes of topics. when she cites a poem written in class ical
Japanese by Saigyo who lived during the I-feian period (794-1185).

In the
first narrati ve by Kurahashi titled " Hana no shita" (Beneath Cherry Blossoms. so that
the example of the first may set procedures for the rest to follow.) At times I wonder how many nati ve Japanese readers understand
these literary allusions since not eve ryone in the reading audience is as erudite as Sei
Shonagon of Pillow Book fame or as eager to flaunt their knowledge before the world. so it was easy enough to translate. (Students need most guidance on intertextual allusions since they have
limited knowledge of the classical Japanese literary canon to which the author makes
frequent reference . But in order to do justice to the poem and
poet. it happens to be one ofSaigyo's most famous poems about cherry
blossoms.
there are three allusions to Saigyo. one needs to find the collection in which the poem was memorialized.
quite an accomplishment in holding to a speci fied length for seventeen linked narratives.
SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF INTERTEXTUAL ALLUS IONS
To trace sources of intertextual allusions seem a bit like so lving a mystery. So let us see where this will lead us. Thus my
lexicon also must contain relevant information about other texts to which Kurahashi' s
narratives allude. I
must admit I am game to trace the literary sources that inspired our author to include
these references. One is a poem by Saigyo with the first line negawaku
wa. In this case. So I began
the investigation by going to the library to consult volumes of the Kokka taikan (~!lik*
tiJl Compendium of National
Poetry) and look for Saigyo's poem in the vo lumes of the
10
. 1989). each narrative in the original is set at seve n pages each. I will concentrate on unraveling the
sources for the first of seventeen Keiko-centcred narratives in the Path of Dreams.author must have been hinting by featuring this particular poem in the narrative. In class we read the first
seven narratives in the collection.

Someti mes it is possible to adhere to a line.*m shikashii).
Biographical information on Saigyo begins with re vea li ng hi s name before he
renounced the world and took on the name by which he is known today.
Here I adhe red to a Ji ne·by·Jine correspondence between the transliterat ion and the
Engli sh translat ion by which I mean: negawaku 1\10 is translated as "would that I could"
and so forth. not among the volumes of imperi al poetry
co ll ections (WJJm4t chokllsenshli) because I was looking for a named poet.
Here is my translation:
negawaku wa
hana no shita nite
haru shi namu
sono kisaragi no
mochizuki no koro
Would that I cou ld
beneath cherry blossoms
die in spring
around the second month
under a full moon.
77 in Saigy6's personal poetry collection ca lled Sankasllli (Poems of a Mountain Home).personal poetry collections
(.by.line correspondence between
trans literat ion and translation throughout the entire poem as I was abl e to do here. the translator must explai n who the
poet Saigyo is to readers who have never studied class ica l Japanese literary hi story and
speculate why Kurahashi might have felt inclined to incl ude hi s poem in her modern
narrative. I-Ie was born
Salo Norikiyo ( 111 8. but
other times it is impossible since Engli sh demands a verb earli er than is provided in
Japanese because ve rbs are located in sentence fina l pos ition.) for Retired Empc rorToba (r.1190). 1107-
11
. Now that the poem has
been properly identified and translated for meaning. I learned it was located in Book 1 No. an ari stocratic samurai who served as one of the elite private
guards known as the North Face (/lokumen no bush. By following
leads such as the first line index in Kokka Taikal1.fL.

sometimes only the situation or conception of a well-known
earlier poem in such a way that recognizable elements are incorporated into a new
meaning.9 While still only twenty-two in 1140. I can't think ora more wonderful way to pay tribute to the past
than by bringing a twelfth century poem into a twentieth century text except perhaps by
bringing the poet back to life and have him interact with the protagonist of her narrative. but specifically refers to "cherry blossoms"
is
(l. hana ({~)
usually defined as flowers.
Kurahashi's initial narrative in Path of Dreams is "Beneath Cherry Blossoms"
(Hana no shita). in a manner
distinguished from mere borrowing and use of similar materials and expressions" (506). In classical Japanese poetry
Ciolfi: waka or jjilfl: tanka). Thus
by referring back to Saigyo's poem.
' llurtOt1 WatsOt1.77 poem. but
suffice it to say that he thereafter concentrated on poetry and travelled extensively around
the country even though the Genpei Civil War (1180-1185) restricted hi s journeys for a
while toward the end of hi s life. Saigyo suddenly renounced the
world and retired from soc iety to pursue otherworldly activities. but one in which the meaning of the earlier poem also enter.
By borrowing a line from Saigyo's poem and using the line as the title of her literary
creation. 1103-1156). Various reasons have
been suggested why such an affluent you ng aristocrat would renounce the world. Honkadori
or an allusive variation was a wok" technique Llsed to expand the original co nfines ofa
3 I-syllable poem. So now that we know who the poet is we have to
continue the investigation to find Ollt why this particular poem by thi s poet might have
been included in this particular narrative. Nc\\ York Co lumbia Ul1iversll y Press. Kurahashi is utilizi ng a centuries-old technique from the waka literary tradition
in the twentieth century. Brower and Miner in Japanese Court Poetry provide a definition:
"Echoing of the words. negawaku wa. SlIIg). the title of Kurahashi's first narrative
is revealed to be an allusive variation (honkadori) 10 the Sankashu 1.Poem! 0/ a !>IOIm/amllollle.. 1991 2
12
.O.1123.k sakllra).

This quote comes from a mondo (PIl9~ dialogue) Saigyo delivers when visitors from the
capital intrude on his sol itary enjoyment of the lone cherry tree in bloom at his hut on the
western outski rts of the capital.Saigyo is resuscitated in "Beneath Cherry Blossoms" because he so loved cherry
blossoms that he expressed a desire to pass away beneath cherry blossoms in full bloo m
and then did exactl y that. Royall Tyler's trans lat ion of these
approximate lines from Saigyo 's Cherry Blossoms in Japanese
13
No
Dramas follows:
.
is incorporated in the text by havin g the resuscitated character of Saigyo chan t the lines to
Keiko :
anshitsu no hana wa
hana ippon
waga hitori
nagamuru mono rno
nagameraruru 1110110
waga to hana to yori
hoka ni wa nashi to
omoishi ni
1110
Cherry blossoms at the herm itage. 1363-144 3) of
the Muromac hi peri od (1337-15 73).
only one tree
for me alonethe one who looks. By passi ng away just as he stated in hi s poem.
In addition to the famous poem by Saigyo. his already
considerable reputat ion as a poet was enhanced into prophetic proportions after his
demi se. there are further references to Saigyo that
continue to expand the boundaries of this shon seven-page narrati ve. Translati ng a Muromachi period text is no picni c. I was able to arrive
at the essence ofa linc-by-line translation. entitled Saigyozakllra (Saigyo's Cherry Blossoms).
just me and the blossoms
thinking there was no one else
but me.
First some li nes from a No play written by Motokiyo Zeami (ca. but
based on the grammar and modificat ion system of classical Japanese. Kurahashi takes this aspect ofSaigyo's claim to fa me and brings him back to life
so her femal e protagonist Keiko can interact with the poet-priest in her creative narrative.
the one loo ked at.

I prefer to provide the transliteration of the original in poetry and libretti since their aural
quality was important to audiences of poetry gatherings and theatre. 1992: 219-220. Docs it make a difference when the libretti are
translated in a prose paragraph? Probably not.nagamllrll mono mol nagamerarurll mono mo-that I translated are
not found in the published translation. (Kurahashi writes often of cherry blossoms in
various narratives in other collections as well. which I alone live here to enjoy. New York: Penguin Classks. Saigyo and Keiko keep an assignation determined long ago and might suggest
the Buddhist notion of reincarnation. then I had to tran slate each line I transliterated
wi th an equivalent translation beside it.ysoms becomes the space for the consummation of their love spanning centuries.
The overall meaning of the two translations is approximately the same.
14
. Next. And
finally the dream motif circles back to the idea expressed in Saigyo's famous poem about
drawing final breath beneath cherry blossoms on a night with a full moon shining
overhead in the Second lunar month.lO First for
instance. First Saigyo. when the publisher does not object. the hollow tree in bloom.)
The next allusion was much more of a mystery than the quoted text above. the hollow tree in bl oo m in Saigyo 's Cheny
Blo. It was
much harder to trace si nce it was embedded in a conversat ion just seven lines after the
cited text [rom Saigyo 's Cheny Blossoms. I found several clements appropriated by Kurahashi for her narrative: the spirit
of the cherry blossoms. then Keiko speaks these lines
10
Ro)'all Tyler."But my hermitage boasts only this one tree. and the topic of dreams. but a couple of
lines in the original. Furthermore. but if the goal is to achieve a line-by-line
translation alongside the transliteration.
When I tracked down Tyler 's translation of Saigy6 Cherty Blossoms and read its
contents. and I
confess myself somewhat distressed that its Oowcrs should have advertised the place to
one and all" (2 19). Smgyo-:llkura in JapwK'se N6 DrwIIIIS.

t. "
As soon as I read the word ifslIzoya fla (when mi ght it have been). iM U 'im-z'1t/i to h
rfl. Kurahashi hi ghli ghts the historical context for the assignation that Saigyo
and Keiko conduct that ni ght (si nce she might be the reincarnation of the woman who
lived in Eguchi in the play reborn to ex perience the assignation with Saigyo in the
twentieth century) as they traverse both time and space to arrive in Sagano in western
Kyoto...iIf:tcO)[itn' 2< Iv <: :to r"'JtIi~O)~ ? -z' l.j' '!!:.below. Eguchi III JQ{X/flese 11'6 Dr/lm(ls.=. 12 Thus it became clear that Kurahashi Yumiko was a
fan of the No Theatre.t~ t::n'? <:
-r l.11
·'It was because yo u mi stakenl y thought I was some harlot. making me wonder what source might have contained such a conversation
between Saigyo and a wo man that might ha ve been a prostitute:
r ~ '''='-'(:' ~f.: n' to J
" . I knew the text was
most likely a quote from cl assica l Japanese. -r ~ .*. (She uses
No plays and No masks in various narratives in thi s collection and others.t..guchi when SaigyO Is refused lodging on a rainy night at the home o f a harlot.'. I found one by the title of
Eguchi that I knew was the geographical location where asohi (talented entertainers who
sang popular songs.. New York: I'cnguin Class1cs. 1992 : 72
II
15
..
II Ro)·al1 T) Icr. It occurred to me that another No play mi ght
be the source and searched for titles with like ly correspondents. or imayo) and yahochi (prostitutes) congregated during the Heian
period from readings I had encountered teaching The Tale o/ fhe Heike.. 1992: 72.( l.. especially Zeami the most illustri ous writer and theorist.. t.Japanese N6 Dramas.:71' J
l.'!!:.) So by alluding
10
this play. The ramifications of the hi storical story of the past overlaps with the new
interpretation in the narrat ive present to create the same layered effec t that Kurahashi
Alludes to Zeami Motokiyo's No play I:. London: Penguin.. I learned that
Eguchi was another play that was written in the Muromachi period by Zeami . When was it that you coldly refused to give me lodging one rain y ni ght?.:
to... one of the
greatest masters of the No Theatre..j:ffi 0) UJE 1-: 1. See
Royall Tyler.

However. cherries.). Or it might refer to the " ideal
of the eremitic life . late 13 th c.
shiny haze. finding pleasure in so lving
enigmas. and then is followed by an enigmatic phrase:
rivers.describes when Saigyo's figure is layered onlO cherry blossoms in full bl oom since Ihe
earlier play Saig)'o 's Cheny Blossoms had implanted in our brain the fact that Saigyo is
the spirit of the cherry tree. I feci it is rather like probing into the mind
16
... All thi s seemed to be
layered on the figure of Mr. I am faced with a dilemma:
which of the two titles am I goi ng to follow when I seek the source of the phrase? There
is also the possibility that it might not be rel ated to either. there are still others I have yet to solve. The phrase might refer to a line
from a famous Chinese poem written by someone on the continent o r by so meone in
Japan leamed in the art of Chinese composition si nce Kurahashi quoted a phrase by Bo
Chui (J.eight
volume history. thi s old cherry tree spread its branches with countless delicate
blossoms and leaves. or
The Confessions of Lad)1Nij6.
In this way I follow the clues embedded in the text.Ji J
14th
c. with a "keen sensiti vi ty to the beauties of nature" that Burton
Watson states was the inspiration for Saigyo' s renouncement of the world (4) that might
offer the best fit in thi s context. The titl e of the forty. 'J J
rtlJJ II {t.
(mountains. Translating such narrati ves replete with intertextal
allusions is exhi larating when a solution is found and fru strating when they prove elusive. there was strange gentleness and magnificence.:.) is mentioned along with the author's name
[Go-Fukakusa'i n] Nij o who mimicked Saigyo' s travel s a couple of centuries later even
though she was a woman. My translation:
In just thi s way.
(The Unso licited Tale. moon). late
is mentioned. In seeki ng the source of the phrase. Genpeijosuiki (ib~PP:JM:~~ Chronicle of the Genpei War. Bai Juyi 772-846) toward the end of this narrative. and in the figure wearing a flowery mantle like glossily.
But it is all a part of the task o f the translator. no. A few lines later
r ~ t t i"nS t. the venerable priest Saigyo. Sato.

When
one is lucky enough to find a text that engages the pleasure of solving conundrums and
having students learn about the literary treasure store the past canon otTers then one can
truly say one is blessed. Let me end here and leave time enough to entertain questions.of the creative force behind the text and trying to discern what motivations might have
compelled the inclusion of so many other texts into the one being newly crafted.
17
.